In an internal combustion engine having a reciprocating piston therein, there is a torque fluctuation caused by the inertia of the reciprocating piston as well as another torque fluctuation caused by a fluctuation of pressure in the combustion chamber, and further the output shaft is rotated along with the fluctuation in torque and the fluctuation in the rotation speed thereof. This fluctuation in torque may impair the performance of driving a vehicle having an internal combustion engine as fluctuation in torque is transmitted to the vehicle and the driving shaft etc. in particular in low speed operation, so that even if a mean driving torque is sufficient for operating the vehicle, a minimum operating speed would substantially be increased due to generation of a vibratory movement caused by a fluctuation in torque. Due to this fact, a car driver must select such a transmission step having a high gear ratio and further there have been such disadvantages as an increased rotation speed of the internal combustion engine and a high cost of fuel as well as a noise etc. And said fluctuation in torque is transmitted to a gear reducer or a transmission unit in particular in case of an idling operation, resulting in making some vibratory movements of the gears and shafts found in the transmission unit to produce some rattle sounds therein.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a torque transmission device in which a highly efficient torque transmitting operation is performed without transmitting any fluctuation in torque of the driving shaft to an output shaft, vibration and noise are prevented and fuel consumption may be reduced.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a torque transmission device for an internal combustion engine installed in a vehicle in which a range of low speed rotation available for the engine may be extended, driving of the vehicle may easily be performed, resulting in decreasing fuel consumption.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a torque transmission device in which torque may be transmitted via clutch without having any cooperation with a fluid coupling by a method wherein the clutch of the present invention is arranged in parallel with the fluid coupling of said transmission device in a driving system of a motor vehicle having a fluid coupling type automatic transmission device, resulting in preventing an excessive slip which is peculiar to the fluid coupling.
Other objects of the present invention may be accomplished as illustrated in the following preferred embodiments of the present invention.